


re:Bound Plus

by AllisonIlluminated



Series: re:Bound [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Deleted Scenes, Headcanon, Multi, Rating: M, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-04-16 13:40:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14166057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllisonIlluminated/pseuds/AllisonIlluminated
Summary: A collection of deleted scenes, headcanons, worldbuilding, and M-rated scenes set in the world of re:Bound.re:Bound's Summary: ""Soulbond gone wrong." Ruby Rose never meant to kill Roman Torchwick. At least, that's what she tells the mysterious girl who haunts her dreams. Ruby/Neo, Bumblebee, Arkos. Volume Two is now complete!"





	1. Omake I (C26)

Omake I

* * *

re:Bound Plus

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/31/18

* * *

**Where in re:Bound – In Volume Three, Chapter Six, after Pyrrha just learned that she is the next Fall Maiden, everyone in the office gets in the elevator in order to see Amber in the vault. This conversation was supposed to take place in the elevator**

**Why It Was Cut – Ruby is more than a little OOC and the humorous tone just didn't work here.**

**TW – None**

* * *

"Hm hm hm hm h-m hm hm hm hm, hm hm hm hm h-m-"

"-open up the door, I don't wanna hear your absolution, hope you're ready for a-"

"Ruby. Neo," Glynda snapped, clenching her crop in her fist. "Please."

Ruby grinned cheekily at her as Neo kept quietly humming. "It's elevator music, Miss Goodwitch. We can't have a proper elevator ride without elevator music, can we?"

"Ruby, there are nine people in this elevator going to visit a dying maiden, and you two are singing  _Casey Lee Williams_ ," Blake said in exasperation. "Can you at least pretend like you're taking this seriously?"

"Personally, I do prefer It's My Turn, although Wings certainly does have charm," Ozpin mused, earning him a glare from Glynda.

"How on earth do you- You know what, of course you listen to that." Shaking her head, the deputy headmistress stared stoically ahead, muttering to herself about coffee and music.

"It's My Turn? When It Falls is  _way_ better, how can that possibly be your favorite song off of Volume Three?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Well, the build-up on It's My Turn is quite excellent," James mused, earning himself a death glare from Glynda.

"Rubes just won't admit she's a casual Casey fan," Qrow said, teasingly ruffling his hand through her hair.

"How am I a casual fan if I like what are  _undeniably_ her best songs?"

 _"Time to Say Goodbye is overplayed and everyone knows it,"_ Neo's shimmery writing scrawled along the wall, and everyone nodded in agreement.  _"Plus, Ruby likes_ Let's Just Live  _and she refuses to admit it."_

"Neo!" Ruby shrieked, giving her best betrayal eyes as Neo smirked and laughed at her.

"I like From Shadows?" Blake offered quietly.

"Dream Come True?"

Ruby snickered and poked Pyrrha. "That's just cause you and Jaune listen to ballads all the time," she said, getting a deep blush

Winter sighed and held her head high. "I suppose if we are admitting our favorites, I am quite partial to Caffeine..."

"You like  _Caffeine_ , Ice Queen?" Qrow snorted. "I would've pegged you for more of a Mirror Mirror girl."

Ruby and Blake looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ozpin gave them a questioning glance, and they chorused, "Weiss."

"I will have you know that rap originated in  _Atlas,_ bird," Winter snapped, unable to keep the hint of a smile from her lips. "Any proper Atlesian should be raised on a healthy mix of classical and rap rock."

"My men are quite partial to I Burn," Ironwood agreed.

"Am I the only one in this elevator who doesn't listen to emo music?!" Glynda exclaimed, at her wit's end.

Ozpin joined Neo in humming This Will Be The Day, smiling as the doors to the elevator slid open. "I am quite fond of Casey and Jeff, Glynda. They never came to this academy, but I can assure you they are lovely people. I think you'd find their music quite wonderful if you gave it a chance."


	2. Relationships and Sexualities

Relationships and Sexualities

* * *

re:Bound Plus

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 4/1/18

* * *

**[A/N] Your complete guide to how every named character in re:Bound (that's worth caring about) is related to each other.**

* * *

**TEAM WBYR**

**Ruby Rose** : Lesbian

\- Dating and Aura Bonded to Neo

\- Partners with Weiss

\- Teammates with Blake

\- Sisters and Teammates with Yang

\- Daughter of Summer and Tai

\- Niece of Raven and Qrow

\- Best Friends with Pyrrha

 **Neopolitan** : Lesbian

\- Dating and Aura Bonded to Ruby

\- Adopted Daughter of Raven

\- Adoptive Sisters and Teammates with Yang

\- Teammates with Weiss and Blake

\- Past Relationship and Aura Bond with Roman

\- Past Aura Bond with Starling, Silas, Three, and Augustus

\- Past Partners with Dane

\- Past Teammates with Emerald and Mercury

 **Weiss Schnee** : Straight

\- Leader of Team RWBY

\- Partners with Ruby

\- Teammates with Blake

\- Sisters with Winter and Whitley

\- Daughter of Jacques and Willow

\- Best Friends and Teammates with Yang

 **Yang Xiao Long** : Lesbian

\- Dating and Partners with Blake

\- Sisters and Teammates with Ruby

\- Adoptive Sisters with Neo

\- Daughter of Tai and Raven

\- Best Friends and Teammates with Weiss

\- Past Stepdaughter of Summer

 **Blake Belladonna** : Bi

\- Dating and Partners with Yang

\- Teammates with Ruby and Weiss

\- Daughter of Ghira and Kali

\- Past Relationship with Adam

\- Past Best Friends with Ilia

* * *

**TEAM JNPR**

**Pyrrha Nikos** : Straight

\- Dating and Partners with Jaune

\- Teammates with Nora and Ren

\- Daughter of Aurum and Lila

\- Best Friends with Ruby

 **Jaune Arc** : Straight

\- Leader of Team JNPR

\- Dating and Partners with Pyrrha

\- Teammates with Ren and Nora

 **Lie Ren:**  Bi

\- Partners with Nora

\- Teammates with Jaune and Pyrrha

\- Son of Li and An

 **Nora Valkerie** : Straight

\- Partners with Ren

-Teammates with Jaune and Pyrrha

* * *

**TEAM STRQ**

**Summer Rose** : Bi, Killed by Salem

\- Mother of Ruby

\- Past Leader of Team STRQ

\- Past Marriage and Teammates with Tai

\- Past Partners and Relationship with Raven

\- Past Teammates with Qrow

\- Past Stepmother of Yang

 **Taiyang Xiao Long** : Bi

\- Father of Ruby and Yang

\- Past Marriage and Teammates with Raven and Summer

\- Past Relationship and Teammates with Qrow

 **Qrow Branwen** : Straight (Except for Tai)

\- Uncle of Ruby and Yang

\- Brother of Raven

\- Disowned Son of Starling and Lilac

\- Past Relationship and Partners with Tai

\- Past Teammates with Raven and Summer

 **Raven Branwen** : Straight

\- Spring Maiden

\- Mother of Yang

\- Adoptive Mother of Neo

\- Aunt of Ruby

\- Sister of Tai

\- Daughter of Starling and Lilac

\- Past Marriage and Teammates with Tai

\- Past Relationship and Partners with Summer

\- Past Teammates with Qrow

* * *

**HUNTERS, GUARDIANS, AND MAIDENS**

**Ozpin** : Each Reincarnation is Different

\- Creator of the Maidens

\- Headmaster of Beacon

 **Glynda Goodwitch:**  Lesbian

\- Engagement and Past Partners with Amber

\- Best Friends with James

\- Past Teammates with Laurel and Kyle

 **Amber:**  Lesbian

\- Partial Fall Maiden

\- Engagement and Past Partners with Glynda

\- Past Teammates with Laurel and Kyle

 **Laurel:**  Straight, Suicide before Salem could attack

\- Past Spring Maiden

\- Past Leader of Team GALL (Glynda, Amber, Laurel, and Kyle)

\- Past Relationship and Partners with Kyle

\- Past Teammates with Glynda and Amber

 **Kyle** **Lime** : Straight, Killed by Salem

\- Past Relationship and Partners with Laurel

\- Past Teammates with Glynda and Amber

 **James Ironwood** : Straight

\- General of Atlesian Military

\- Best Friends with Glynda

 **Winter Schnee** : Straight

\- Special Operative of Atlesian Military

\- Daughter of Jacques and Willow

\- Sister of Weiss and Whitley

 **Lilia** : Straight, Killed by Raven

\- Past Spring Maiden

 **Peter Port** : Gay

\- Professor at Beacon

 **Bartholomew Oobleck** : Straight

\- Professor at Beacon

* * *

**FAUNUS RIGHTS AND WHITE FANG**

**Dane Lilac:**  Straight

\- Member of White Fang

\- Partners with Dove

\- Teammates with Russel and Sky

\- Past Student of James

\- Past Partners with Neo

\- Past Teammates with Emerald and Mercury

 **Ghira Belladonna:**  Straight

\- Father of Blake

\- Husband of Kali

\- Past Leader of White Fang

 **Kali Belladonna:**  Straight

\- Mother of Blake

\- Wife of Ghira

\- Past Member of White Fang

 **Adam Taurus:**  Straight

\- White Fang Lieutenant

\- Past Relationship with Blake

 **Ilia Amitola:**  Lesbian

\- White Fang Member

\- Past Best Friends with Blake

 **Sienna Khan:**  Straight

\- Leader of White Fang

 **Tukson Lupa:**  Straight, Killed by Valean Soldier and Emerald

\- Past White Fang Member

 **Fennec Albain:**  Gay

\- Lieutenant of White Fang

 **Corsac Albain:**  Straight

\- Lieutenant of White Fang

 **Lilianne Hale:**  Straight

\- Leader of Union for Faunus Equality

 **Signus:**  Straight

\- Leader of Atlesian Right Coalition

* * *

**BANDITS**

**Starling Branwen:** Straight, Killed by Silas

\- Leader of Branwen Tribe

\- Husband of Lilac

\- Father of Qrow and Raven

\- Past Aura Bond with Neo

 **Lilac Branwen:**  Straight, Died of Natural Causes

\- Wife of Starling

\- Mother of Qrow and Raven

 **Silas Ravinere:**  Straight, Killed by Three

\- Leader of Ravinere Tribe

\- Past Aura Bond with Neo

 **Three:**  Straight, Killed by Augustus

\- Past Aura Bond with Neo

 **Augustus Augustine:**  Straight, Killed by Roman Torchwick

\- Leader of Augustine Tribe

\- Past Aura Bond with Neo

 **Vernal:**  Lesbian

\- Member of Branwen Tribe

* * *

**ANTAGONISTS**

**Cinder Fall:**  Bi

\- Partial Fall Maiden

 **Roman Torchwick:**  Straight, Killed by Ruby

\- Past Relationship and Aura Bond with Neo

 **Emerald Sustrai:**  Bi

\- Past Partners with Mercury

\- Past Teammates with Dane and Neo

 **Mercury Black:**  Straight

\- Past Teammates with Emerald

\- Past Relationship with Dane and Neo

 **Harkan:**  Ace

\- ?

 **Salem:**  Ace

\- Queen of the Grimm

* * *

**STUDENTS**

**Sun Wukong:**  Bi

\- Leader of Team SSSN

\- Crush on Blake

\- Partners and Crush on Neptune

\- Teammates with Scarlet and Sage

 **Neptune Vasilias:**  Straight

\- Partners with Sun

\- Teammates with Scarlet and Sage

 **Cardin Winchester:**  Straight, Killed by Harkan

\- Past Leader of CRDL

\- Past Partners with Dove

\- Past Teammates with Russel and Sky

 **Penny Polendina:**  Ace

\- Teammates with Ciel


	3. Summary I (V1-3)

**Volume 1-3 Summary**

* * *

re:Bound Plus

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/23/18

* * *

**Timeline**

**69 BBB –** Starling Branwen is born

**42 BBB – Team STRQ is born**

**35 BBB –** James Ironwood is born

 **32 BBB –** Team GALL (Glynda, Amber, Laurel, Kyle) is born

 **30 BBB –** Greaser is born

 **27 BBB –** Audrey Calla is born

 **March, 24 BBB**  –  **Bella "Neopolitan" Green Branwen is born**

 **18 BBB –**  Starling Branwen bonds Bella

 **17 BBB –** Teams JNPR and WBY_ are born

 **16 BBB –** Silas Ravinere kills Starling Branwen

 **15 BBB –** Ruby Rose is born

 **12 BBB – Summer Rose dies** , Lilia becomes the spring maiden, Three kills Silas Ravinere, Augustus Augustine kills Three

 **11 BBB –** Raven Branwen becomes the spring maiden, Raven and Bella reconnect

 **10 BBB –**  Roman Torchwick kills Augustus Augustine.

 **9 BBB –** Audrey Calla falls to Salem, becomes Cinder Fall

**September to December, 0 BBB – Events of Volume One**

**January, 0 BBB – Events of Volume Two**

**April, 0 BBB –** Harkan ambushes Team WBYR and Team BLVE training mission

**June, 0 BBB – Events of Volume Three, Vytal Massacre, Battle of Beacon**

_Continuity note: As I follow an American schooling model and not a Japanese schooling model, Ruby's birthday is on July 31 and not October 31. Why? Cause otherwise this timeline would make no fucking sense and I'd have to reread my whole damn fic just to edit for one detail, fuck that shit._

**Summary**

**Volume One**

_Chapter One: Shatter –_ In a split second decision in the midst of a robbery, Ruby Rose pursues Roman Torchwick onto a rooftop with her semblance instead of checking on the shopkeeper. A mysterious bullhead arrives to take Roman away, and he launches a dust crystal at Ruby. To dodge and stop him from escaping, Ruby launches them both off the building. Roman's aura can't withstand the combined forces of the ground and Crescent Rose's blade, and he is instantly killed.

In the hospital, Ruby has flashbacks and fever dreams. She cries out for help, and a mysterious girl appears in her dream who calls herself Neo and makes her bad dreams end. Later, Ruby asks Yang if she hates her because she is a murder. Yang is shocked, and tells her she is a hero and she could never hate Ruby. The next day, Ozpin visits Ruby and tells her that sometimes hunters must take life to protect, and accepts her into Beacon at only fifteen.

 _Chapter Two: False Idols –_  Ruby dreams of Neo, who tells her that she controls her and that Ruby is a murderer. As Ruby arrives at Beacon, her thoughts quickly devolve from excitement to despair, unable to comprehend why anyone would want to be friends with a murderer. Her fear is quickly confirmed when she finds her team: Weiss Schnee, her partner, already hates her, Blake Belladonna is indifferent to her presence, and Yang is acting weird and distant. Disheartened after Weiss and Yang storm out, she goes to the weapons room to clean Crescent. In the weapons room, she is found by Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha is shocked when she knows who Ruby is but not vice versa, and immediately becomes attached to the younger huntress. Pyrrha and Ruby later go on to become best friends.

 _Chapter Three: Flicker –_ Woken up early by a violent nightmare, Ruby accidentally wakes her team up early for the first day of classes – Yang and Weiss are furious, and Blake's insomnia meant she was already up. At breakfast, she sits as far from them as possible. Pyrrha and JNPR approach her to eat with her. Neo appears as a flickering apparition and holds her sword to Jaune's throat, telling her she'll kill him on her orders. Ruby refuses, and flees breakfast.

In combat class, Ruby is paired to fight against Weiss. Neo appears once more, and taunts Ruby as she fights. In a lull, Neo attacks her, and Ruby is shocked and hurt when she rakes her sword from her shoulder to her opposite hip. When Weiss takes advantage of her partner's apparent insanity, Ruby's PTSD flares up at the sight of red dust and she launches herself straight into an explosion, blacking out.

In her dreamscape, Ruby sobs in pain and fear. Neo comforts her and tries to apologize, but she lashes out at the other girl for her hypocrisy. Neo tells her that she wants Ruby to be just like "them," and tells her that she deserves to be fucked up just like she was. After revealing to Ruby that she's seen all of her memories, she vows that if she'll turn Ruby into one of "them" herself.

Waking up in the hospital wing, Ruby overhears Glynda call her Ozpin's "special silver eyes protogee project" and her trust in him fractures irreparably. She promises herself never to let Ozpin find out about Neo and to protect herself from the girl in her head.

 _Chapter Four: Black and White –_ Neo shows Ruby the memory of Qrow awakening her aura after she got mauled by a Beowulf. Later that day, Ruby visits Ozpin for "therapy." After receiving a series of one word answers, Ozpin makes Ruby play a game of chess with him. Ruby and Ozpin debate whether she is a murderer, and Ruby's opinion of herself remains unchanged. After that, Ozpin lists of Ruby's qualities that make her exceptional, then asked what changed. Ruby reaffirms that she is a murderer, at which point the session ends after she doubles down on not telling Ozpin about Neo. In the elevator, Neo tries to tear Ruby down by listing her negative qualities to oppose Ozpin, only to fail as Ruby realizes that Neo is a real person and not a hallucination. Ruby flees and vomits, only for Neo to appear at her side. Neo tells her that she's going to make Ruby use her, and tells her once somebody's broken, they either fix themselves or die. Later that night, Yang comforts Ruby as she has a breakdown from the events of the past two days.

Orientation starts, but Ruby is in the forest for just moments before Neo tackles her and hides them under a rock. A mysterious human riding a decapitated Nuckalevee stops in the clearing and threatens Neo. Ruby learns that Neo's semblance is illusions and her tongue is gone, then the two set out to save the rest of Ruby's team from the Grimm man. Ruby and Neo join forces to slaughter a Deathstalker, then hear Weiss scream.

 _Chapter Five: Umber –_ Ruby steals Weiss' easy kills and starts an argument. Blake, Yang, and Neo catch up, and the fivesome makes a sprint for the cliffs. Ruby faints, and Neo transfers aura to her to keep her alive. After they make it back, Ozpin declares them Team WBYR led by Weiss. Weiss blows up at Ruby back in the dorm, and Yang defuses the argument by sending everyone to bed.

In their dream, Neo brings Ruby to a beach and tells her she has visited twice, then describes how her parents took her the first time. When Ruby asks why Neo brought her there, Neo switches the subject and asks if Ruby hates her; when the answer is no, she says she doesn't understand. When Ruby pushes the subject, Neo falls back on calling Ruby a murderer. This time, Ruby exclaims that Roman was a murderer too, which Neo vehemently denies. Every death conducted in Roman's business was not him but  _her_. Then, she tells her that the second time she came to the beach was with Roman and screams that there's always someone in her head. When Ruby asks why she could kill so many people, Neo says because she loved him and Ruby will always be the one who took Roman away from her. As punishment, Neo forces Ruby to re-watch the last time she saw Summer.

Ruby is unresponsive the next morning as Weiss tries to hold her first team meeting. Yang isn't taking it seriously at all, and Blake is reading under the table. Weiss attempts to outline a challenging schedule and shows them her leadership notebook, and everyone immediately protests. Weiss lashes out and asserts her leadership, and everyone begrudgingly accepts. Later in therapy, Ozpin tells Ruby he will train her for a dual semblance because he doesn't know the aura transfer was because of Neo.

 _Chapter Six: Rumors –_ Neo wakes Ruby up in the middle of the night and tells her to make her pancakes. When Ruby does, she is shocked at her kindness and thanks her. While they wait, Neo tells her that the Grimm man's name is Harkan. After they finish eating, Neo forces Ruby to go outside and start hardcore training, mainly on endurance. In the morning, Ruby is so tired that she barely notices Cardin and his team trying to bully her. When he touches her, though, she bats him backward into the wall. Thus, the Black Rose nickname is born.

Ruby goes to wash the blood off of Crescent Rose. While she does, Jaune comes in and she absent-mindedly reveals that she knows his transcripts are faked. He panics, but she leaves without registering it. Later, Yang and Ruby completely reject Weiss' schedule and Weiss flees the dorm room. Neo follows her to the library, where Professor Port tells her that good leaders need trust, not obedience. Weiss leaves, deep in thought.

 _Chapter Seven: Fracture –_ Ruby's life becomes hell as Neo trains her to aura exhaustion every day, Ozpin tries to unlock her "second semblance," and Weiss tries in vain to catch her up on two full years of academic studies. After a stress dream, Ruby wakes early in the morning and goes to the training room to do endurance exercises. Because of insomnia, Blake is also awake and follows her down. Ruby slips and hurts herself, and when Blake rushes to help her she notices her ears flatten. When she asks Neo, the other girl confirms that Blake is a faunus. Shocked, Ruby blurts it out to Blake, who immediately run. Blake mistakes Ruby chasing after her as aggression and attacks her teammate. Their fight turns vicious when Blake asks who Neo is. Ruby wins, and prevents Blake from running. Blake tells her they were never friends and demands answers, going back only to protect everyone else from Ruby.

Asleep, Neo shows Ruby her team and JNPR worriedly discussing her. Ruby says she didn't realize how much they cared, to which Neo asks why she deserves that care. Later, Ruby is harassed at the entrance to the library by Cardin, who is stopped by Ren. She then meets Blake, who demands answers after telling Ruby how she was a member of the White Fang. Before Ruby can give her answers, Jaune interrupts them which Ruby uses as an excuse to get away. Ruby takes Jaune to the rooftop and tells him she'll train him. Neo is furious that she passes up so much power over Jaune, and tells Ruby about Cinder.

 _Chapter Eight: Last Levee –_ Moved by the overheard conversation about her well-being the day prior, Ruby makes an effort to study to Weiss' delight. The calm would not last long.

Ruby asks Neo to train her in hand-to-hand combat so she can fight Cardin. Neo loses patience with Ruby and draws her sword, expecting Ruby to dodge. Ruby doesn't. The gushing wound in her side sends her into a PTSD flashback of killing Roman. Neo clings to Ruby's chest, sobbing, but she is unable to say "I'm sorry" with her missing tongue. Ruby snaps, unable to handle her life anymore, and screams for Neo to get off. Neo glows green and is forced to do so. As Ruby realized she can command Neo at will, she forces her to stand still and draws Crescent. Cursing for the first time, Ruby asks if the situation was what Neo fucking wanted and tells her not to say her name. Neo does, and Ruby bludgeons her with Crescent's dull side. Her psyche shattering entirely, Ruby locks her emotions deep inside her and shuts herself off from Neo.

Ruby ignores her team at breakfast. When Cardin tries to approach her, she launches him into the ceiling. Horrified, Yang decides to challenge her to get her back into a good mood. It backfires when Ruby decimates her with two month's worth of nightly honed combat skills and aura training. Meanwhile, Jaune finally confesses everything to Pyrrha about his transcripts and Ruby, and Pyrrha decides to train him.

 _Chapter Nine: Forever Fall –_  Yang is deeply depressed after her match with Ruby, declaring that she's an awful sister. Darkly, Blake says its Ruby's fault, and sometimes people just change. When Yang protests, she reveals that she was a White Fang member and describes her abusive relationship with Adam. Yang explodes, saying that she'll kill him, drawing JNPR and Weiss to the room. Weiss freaks out and leaves, and Blake chases after her. Weiss tells her she's her leader and will get over it, but needs space. Weiss goes to Vale, where she meets Qrow. He tells her everything in life is a choice and if she and Blake are really friends her heritage shouldn't matter.

The next day is the class trip to Forever Fall. With her teammates deep in conversation about the Fang, Ruby slips away to gather sap on her own. Cardin follows her and attacks her, and Ruby snaps and brings him to his knees in battle. Before he has a chance to recover, they are ambushed by a Ursa and Cardin died. Harkan follows, and he battles with Ruby while revealing his semblance to be jamming mechanical objects. He wins, and destroys Crescent Rose with his sword. Before he can kill Ruby, though, Neo sprints to catch his blow and fights Harkan. Overwhelmed, Ruby activates her silver eyes and the world turns white.

 _Chapter Ten: Neopolitan –_ Eighteen years before the present, Neo was at the beach with her parents when the town was attacked by bandits. Before they had a chance to respond, Raven Branwen portaled to their hiding spot and captured the family, bringing them before Starling, her father. Neo's parents are both killed, but Starling decided to use Neo for his "experiment." However, Neo is too traumatized to tell him her name, so Raven christens her Neopolitan before taking her away.

In the present, Neo and Ruby are at Summer's grave in Ruby's dreamscape. Neo reveals that was the last memory of her parents, and that she doesn't know her real name. She apologizes, and Ruby asks why everything happened. Neo shows her another scene from eighteen years ago, where Starling bonds Neo to her. This bond is called an Aura Bond.

In an aura bond, one person is bonded to another. The two are able to share aura, thoughts, and emotions, and the connection grows weaker based on distance and aura levels. The bonded person has complete unrestricted access to the bonder's memory. In return, the bonder has complete control over the bonded's actions, and any given order must be obeyed. The only way the bond can be broken is if the bonded dies. If the bonder dies, the bond with be transferred to the person who killed them or the last person in their thoughts.

When the memory finishes, Neo apologizes and says that she just wanted to be in control for once in her life. She explains to Ruby that "Them" are her bonders, and explains her side of the past several months. Ruby says she needs to command her to do something to believe her, and orders Neo to tell her everything. Neo shows her several memories to start: the first time Starling hit her and the first time she met Taiyang, Yang's baby shower, the first time Neo killed a man, Qrow getting disowned, and Starling's death. When the memories finish, Ruby learns that she's in a coma, and she and Neo agree that they'll try to be friends.

Finally, Qrow comes to meet Oz and tells him what he's discovered about Neo.

**Volume Two**

_Chapter One: Hearthfire –_ Tukson Lupa's fate is sealed when he is stopped on the street by Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. After threatening him and his family, they lead him to an alleyway where he meets White Fang leader Adam Taurus. He offers Tukson the opportunity to rejoin the fang, and he turns it down. Adam lets Tukson go, but he doesn't get far before he is stopped at a crosswalk by a policeman. Emerald manipulates the policeman into shooting the peaceful faunus dead on the spot. The video goes viral in seconds.

Ruby awakes from her coma on Patch after several weeks, and thanks Neo for keeping her company for all that time. Tai and Yang burst into the room, exuberant to see her awake. Later, Ruby goes to Yang's room to apologize to her. She confesses her guilt and self-loathing, to which Yang explodes that everybody in her life cares for her and it doesn't matter. Zwei interrupts with cookies, and the sisters get into a quick pillow fight. Ruby tells Yang that she's a different person, and they can't go back to the way they were before.

Meanwhile, Jaune and Pyrrha have traveled to Mistral together to spend holidays with Pyrrha's parents. Unable to handle her parents and their constant questioning of Jaune and her choices, she leaves the table and Jaune follows. They go to Pyrrha's room, where she explains that she hasn't lived at home since she was fourteen years old. The room makes her feel empty, so she and Jaune leave their parent's mansion and travel back to Pyrrha's apartment.

Neo shows Ruby her first night with Silas, her second bonder, and how Raven promised to keep visiting her no matter what. After, Ruby and Neo visit Summer and Crescent's graves. Finally, Tai asks her whether sending her to Beacon was the right choice, and she replies yes.

 _Chapter Two: Checkmate –_ On the airship to Beacon, Ruby marvels and Neo worries about the Atlesian fleet that has arrived over Vale. When they arrive, Ruby is hopeful for a moment when everyone is happy to see her. That peace is short-lived, though, as she and Blake nearly immediately get into a violent argument about Blake's bow, work, and Crescent Rose. Glynda sends Ruby and Blake straight to Ozpin.

When they get to the office, Qrow and Ironwood are there too. Blake tells her complete story to Ruby and Neo's horror, and she reveals Neo's name. Moments later, Ozpin uses his magic to discover Neo and end her farce. Ruby defends Neo, and she lashes out at Ozpin for his shitty treatment of her. Interrupting her, Ozpin asks if she has ever heard the tale of the two maidens.

 _Chapter Three: Beauty and the Burden –_ The four maidens are real. Blake tries to make a run for it, but she's stopped. Neo forces Ozpin to prove that he is magical, and he does so. Qrow is violently opposed to Neo, as he blames her for fracturing his relationship with the other Branwens, and his bond with Ruby starts to break. Ozpin reveals that Aura Bonds are deeply illegal because of him, and they can never reveal themselves to others. Ozpin assigns Ruby and Blake detention and Neo to a team, then makes Neo create a disguise.

Meanwhile, Jaune and Pyrrha are training to music. They pause and start dancing before having a first kiss. Pyrrha then asks Jaune on a date. After, Blake has gone to Tukson's memorial to clear her mind when Sun comes up to her and asks her out. To his surprise, she says yes and he takes her to a coffee shop. The mood sours when the owner comes to kick them out; the coffee shop was human-only and Sun hadn't bothered to check. Blake tells Sun that if he gives a shit about anything, he should meet her at a protest later that week.

 _Chapter Four: Perfectly Fine –_ Ruby takes her fury and anger out by training with Neo. Neo begs her to let her take some of her negative emotions, and Ruby says no. They agree to start training again. Blake returns to the dorm room and is absolutely furious at Sun and Ozpin and Ruby, and in her rage accidentally pissed Yang off, who storms out. When she gets to the combat room, she finds Ruby and is introduced to Neo. She and Ruby spar, but jealousy towards Neo starts to take root. On the way back to their dorm, Ruby meets Penny.

The next day, Ruby and Neo are clinging to each other and Yang wants to kill them. Emerald, Mercury, and Dane come up to them at breakfast and introduce themselves as Neo's teammates. Blake and Ruby have their first detention, Neo shows Ruby a memory of having to kill a family of bandits, and Qrow finds Raven then passes out after telling her, "I found her."

 _Chapter Five: Whiplash –_ Pyrrha and Ruby meet up in the weapons room where Ruby is creating a copy of Ember Cecila and Ruby gives Pyrrha advice about her new relationship. Meanwhile, Raven learns about Ruby and Neo from Qrow and tries to kill him, then breaks down after he talks her down and flees. Later, Yang approaches Blake in concern, which quickly devolves into an argument and blows up in Yang's face when she compares Blake to Ruby. Blake tells Yang to leave her alone and flees to their dorm room. Pyrrha takes Jaune's advice and asks him out. Ruby finishes her gauntlet and lets slip that she thinks Neo is hot, and Qrow approaches them to tell them to be alone on thursday night. Later that afternoon, Blake tells Yang to fuck off when she tries to coax her out of the bathroom, and Yang breaks down.

 _Chapter Six: Innocent –_ Neo shares with Ruby her memory of Three killing Silas. That morning, Weiss exclaims that Yang is too quiet and forces her to talk to her. Ruby tries to help, but she's rejected by both Yang and Weiss. Weiss outlines her plan to make Blake feel better: Team WBYR is now in charge of planning the annual dance. Later, Dane, Emerald, and Mercury go to visit Ironwood on his flagship.

In detention, Blake abruptly asks Ruby and Neo how they're okay with anything that's happening, and Ruby responds that she isn't. Blake starts shutting down, and Ruby blurts out, "I'm not a murderer!" and proceeds to tell Blake everything. Blake snaps at her, and she starts getting angrier and angrier, talking about how she hurts people when she can't move forwards just like how Blake hurt Yang. When Blake still doesn't get it, Ruby rips on her for her treatment of Yang and finally is able to come to terms with killing Roman in a moment of catharsis. Her parting words to Blake are "I wish I had never gone after you the night that I ran." That night, Ruby and Neo test out her gauntlets then move to talking at the edge of Beacon cliff. Unthinkingly, Ruby lets her purest thoughts slip across their bond: "I love you."

 _Chapter Seven: Hollow –_ Neo doesn't take it very well. Before she can get away from Ruby, though, Raven appears. Neo is shocked and happy, but her argument with Ruby devolves as she feels Ruby's presence is ruining her reunion. After Raven is done unloading her anger about Neo's lost tongue on the forest, she takes Neo away with her leaving Ruby desolate and alone. Her condition isn't any better the next morning, and Weiss has to force the rest of her team to function properly.

Later that day, Blake meets up with sun to attend the protest. They talk through Blake's problems and listen to Lilianne Hale speak. As they talk, Blake realizes that she loves Yang and starts rushing back to Beacon. On the way back, though, Blake stops two Atlesian soldiers from beating innocent faunus only for them to punch her in the head themselves.

Back at school, Ruby melts down entirely and activates her silver eyes in an effort to expel her emotions. Qrow tries to stop her, and she attacks him. After disarming him and stealing his scythe, she realizes that Crescent is never coming back and blacks out.

 _Chapter Eight: Aftershocks –_ As Weiss watches over Ruby and Blake in the hospital wing, Ozpin pulls her aside for a private conversation. He tells her that he originally intended to place Ruby as the leader of Team WBYR, leading Weiss to question why he is telling her that. He then tells her Ruby carries a great dangerous burden which is affecting Yang and Blake as well, and tells her that not only should she learn to receive trust like Professor Port told her to but also to give it. Jaune and Pyrrha also go on their first date.

Blake and Ruby wake up at the same time in the hospital wing. Ruby blames Blake for Neo reading, and tries to push Blake away when she comforts her. Ruby tells her she loves Neo and hates her, to which Blake responds that she doesn't hate Ruby, she hates feeling trapped. Ruby explains to Blake that Neo is her everything and nothing can change that. When she tells Blake how Neo sees her as one of them, Blake has no words for her.

Finally, Tai comes to visit Ruby in her dorm. He explains to Ruby how Neo tore their team apart and how he cheated on Raven with Summer. He then gives her Zwei and Summer's weapon Rising Thorn as gifts.

 _Chapter Nine: Nebula –_ Yang pulls Blake away from the library to talk, stopping her from watching footage of Atlesian soldiers beating her. She tells her that she doesn't care what she says, she won't let Blake push her away anymore. Talk turns to the video, and Yang tells Blake that she can't keep obsessing over it, then asks Blake to the dance with her. Finally made up, the two kiss.

WBYR finally comes together as a team to prepare for the dance. Ruby decides to use Rising Thorn  _and_ her gauntlets, and she spray-paints the latter while talking to Pyrrha. Neo returns from Mistral and is immediately overwhelmed by everything that had happened since she had left. Ruby repeats what she said to Blake about Neo being her everything. The two make amends, and Ruby asks Neo to the dance. Finally, Emerald makes her report to Cinder about Beacon.

 _Chapter Ten: Radiance –_ Ruby tries to apologize to Jaune for her actions in the fall, which Jaune doesn't accept. He says they'll never be friends, and tells her if she ever hurts Pyrrha he'll fight her. Ruby and Neo have a long deep talk, ending with Neo telling Ruby, "So do I." WBYR and JNPR, lead by Weiss, help put the dance together, and Ruby tells Weiss that she's a good leader. Ruby and Neo get ready together, and then the dance begins with Yang and Blake DJing.

Everyone dances but Weiss stays on the upper balcony. When Yang approaches her and asks why, Weiss tells her she feels isolated and didn't want to be a leader. Yang comforts her as she breaks down, and tells her that she doesn't have to be alone anymore. On the dance floor, Pyrrha promises Jaune nothing will take them apart. Ruby and Neo wander away from the dance together and onto the balcony, where they notice a man lying dead in the bushes. Ruby rushes to investigate and finds the CCT burning and everyone inside dead. Traumatized, she and Neo cling to each other for the rest of the night. Yang finds them on the couch, and Team WBYRV sleeps together for the first time. Neo dreams of Augustus killing Three that night. Ironwood swears to protect Vale, and the Belladonnas decide to visit.

**Volume Three**

_Chapter One: Ambush –_ WBYR and BVLE are on a combined training trip. Dane, Emerald, and Mercury go on patrol together and slip off to meet Cinder, Harkan, and Adam as WBYR discusses the upcoming faunus march and Vytal Tournament. Dane bursts back into the group as they are ambushed by a massive group of Grimm and announces Emerald and Mercury are dead. The group flees to the bullhead and narrowly escapes Harkan's terrifying EMP abilities with Weiss' semblance.

 _Chapter Two: Strength of Void –_ Ruby and Neo are working off their emotions from the ambush when Weiss storms into the combat room and screams at Ruby for fighting recklessly twice and ignoring her. Ruby chases after her to apologize, only to find her crying behind a statue. Weiss, as the de facto leader of the mission, believes Emerald and Mercury's deaths are her fault, and Ruby talks her down. Dane discusses Harkan, the mission, and his new team assignment with Ironwood, and expresses his fury at being assigned Cardin's spot. Neo shows Ruby how she reunited with Raven after briefly losing touch because of Summer's death and Three. Finally, Nora and Jaune throw Pyrrha a surprise birthday party.

 _Chapter Three: Family Ties –_ Yang and Blake go on a date for ice cream while waiting for Blake's parents to arrive. When they do, Yang is introduced and the quartet goes out for dinner and the Belladonnas get filled in on everything that's happened to Blake in the last few years. Meanwhile, Neo, Ruby, and Raven are having dinner and discussing STRQ at length. When they return to Beacon, Blake is sad and angry because she has to lie so much to Yang and her parents. Finally, Neo kisses Ruby for the first time.

 _Chapter Four: Arrival –_ WBYRJNPR are playing video games when Winter shows up at Beacon unannounced. Weiss, Ruby, and Yang rush down to meet her, but their meeting is interrupted by Qrow. The drunk huntsman tries to attack Winter but is stopped by Ruby. Later, the protest meeting is in chaos as different parties protest Lilianne Hale's peaceful no-weapons policy. The anger is broken, however, when the White Fang arrives to join the protest. Illia approaches Blake, but when she realizes Yang is her girlfriend, she turns around and flees and Blake realizes she had a crush on her. When Winter meets up with the rest of Ozpin's guardians, Ozpin says that it's time to pick a new guardian.

 _Chapter Five: Maiden –_ In the past, fourteen-year-old Neo tells Raven that Augustus knows about her then asks if she regrets keeping her alive. Raven says she could never regret keeping her daughter alive. Neo then says that she can't feel when she kills anymore and that if Raven was her bonder, she wouldn't be her mom anymore. When Raven says nothing could stop her from being Neo's mom, Neo shoots back by comparing it to Yang. Raven explodes, saying that she promised Tai, and almost kills Neo with her power. When Neo calms her down, she explains that she's gotten intense power from killing Lilia and says that everyone in her life gets hurt because she is weak. Neo begs her to kill her so Augustus can't ruin what little is left of her life, and Raven can't do it. When Neo asks why, she responds, "Because I love you. Because you and the tribe are all I have left."

Ruby goes to Summer's grave with Neo. After that, the tournament begins. WBYRV watches as JNPR beats their opponents, then travels back to Beacon with them afterwards. On their way back into school, Pyrrha, Ruby, Neo, and Blake are sent to Ozpin's office. Ozpin tells Pyrrha about the maidens to Ruby's horror, and as revenge she reveals Neo to Pyrrha as well. That's when Ozpin breaks it to Pyrrha that she's next in line to become Fall Maiden.

 _Chapter Six: Spiral_  – Ruby is chilled to the bone when she hears Ozpin's directive, and she quickly reassures Pyrrha that she and Neo are there for her. The group goes down to the vault, where Amber is being held in a healing pod. Ozpin explains the situation to Pyrrha, then reveals that Harkan is a faunus and that they must never kill him because he holds an aura bond. He tells Pyrrha that Amber will die and gives her a choice – become fall maiden or let Salem have Fall.

Blake calms Pyrrha down as Ruby and Neo take out their fury on each other in the combat room, telling her more about the duo's aura bond. Then, they go to dinner with Raven, who takes the situation in stride despite her anger at Ozpin and Qrow. Pyrrha is frightened and afraid, and when she realizes Ozpin's dark side, she walks out on dinner. Back at Beacon, everybody else is playing Monopoly when Pyrrha comes in sobbing and makes a beeline for Jaune. Meanwhile, Yang is furious that Blake left her behind at the protest meeting, and Nora is scared of what could be so bad that it has Pyrrha Nikos sobbing. Glynda is drinking and grieving for Amber when Ironwood comes in, and she tells him that she and Amber had just gotten engaged. Finally, Emerald and Dane get into a fight over whether Dane will be able to do what he needs to

 _Chapter Seven: Destiny –_ Neo shows Ruby the memory of getting her big back scar. Jaune confronts Ruby at breakfast about hurting Pyrrha and challenges her to a match, in which he is utterly decimated. Ruby chases after Pyrrha, who fled the match, and finds her in the weapons room. Ruby tells Pyrrha that hurting people and killing people are two different things, and Pyrrha questions whether she has a choice about the maidens at all. Ruby responds that destiny isn't choice. Pyrrha says she'll hurt everybody, but Ruby counters by saying she'll kill them, but that will never make her a murderer. Pyrrha asks who she is, and Neo and Ruby respond in unison that they'll be there for her, no matter what.

At the protest meeting, Ilia tells Blake that Adam is involved in the attack on the protest. Blake panics and the group rushes to tell Ozpin, who says there is nothing they can do but fight. Dane goes to meet General Ironwood with Emerald and Mercury, and tells the general about how he was tortured at Atlas Academy. Ironwood is wary until Dane says he joined the fang and Emerald reveals the bodies of Ironwood's dead guards around the room. Dane reveals that he is the high commander of Mantle's Fang, and proceeds to kill Ironwood and take his place with his disguise semblance. Ozpin calls to tell that the White Fang will participate in the attack, and Dane replies that he'll be there in person. Finally, Pyrrha lashes out at Jaune for challenging Ruby earlier, and they have a long conversation about Pyrrha's fears and the upcoming danger. The night ends with the two having sex for the first time at Pyrrha's desperate request.

 _Chapter Eight: Revelation –_ Finally, Neo and Ruby arrive at Neo's worst memory: being forced to tell Raven that she hated her and never wanted to see her again or she'd kill herself. When the pair awake, Neo has a complete meltdown, revealing herself to Yang and Weiss. It is revealed that Neo's real name is Bella Green, and Augustus stripped her of all her memories of her parents and her given name. Neo screams that she isn't a real person and because of Augustus she never will be, and whispers to Ruby that she wants to be somebody again. They vow to find out who Bella Green was and who Neo is together, then realize Yang and Weiss saw the whole exchange.

Ruby explains who Neo is, and Weiss gasps as she realizes they have an aura bond. She explains that it's illegal and that Harkan is called "the Lich" and kills bonded people. Yang almost blows up at Blake and Ruby for not telling her about everything, but Weiss manages to talk her down. Weiss then blows up, accusing Ruby of never being her partner and ruining her time at Beacon by making her lead a shitty team. That's when Ruby explains that Raven is Neo's mom as well as Raven, and Yang is shocked. Finally, Weiss demands that she and Yang get the entire story from the beginning, and Ruby explains their entire time at Beacon.

 _Chapter Nine: Collapse –_ In the past, Qrow watches as Raven blows up and declares war on Augustus and as Roman learns of the attack. Deciding to put the past aside until the protest ends, WBYR has coffee and gets ready for the day, and Jaune and Pyrrha get out of bed together and prepare to fight. Dane puts everything in order on the Atlesian ship and prepares to attend the protest. Then, the semi-finals and protest begin. While it does, Watts boards the ship, kills everyone on the bridge, and installs the black queen virus. Pyrrha beats Sun with ease, and moves on to the finals. WBYRV gets into position, and the final round begins.

The protest is massive, and Sienna Khan's speech whips the crowd up into a fury. Pyrrha nearly loses in the finals and panics, sending her semblance out in a mass wave. Penny's strings wrap around her body, and the android is killed. When Cinder sees it, she activates the virus and all of the robot's visors turn red. As Cinder gives a speech in the coliseum, Blake gives a speech in the protest. As she finishes, Dane pushes past her and takes the mic. In front of the entire world, he gives the shoot-to-kill order, then murders Sienna and Lilianne in cold blood.

 _Chapter Ten: Abyss –_ Atlesian Knights begin to slaughter the faunus. WBYRV spring into action, killing as many as possible and commanding everyone to make a break for the city walls. Ruby and Neo lead the horde, while Weiss is trapped fighting knights behind and Blake and Yang run after Taurus and Ironwood. In the coliseum, JNPR and Ozpin sprint to the airships, and Pyrrha fills her team in on everything as they hurdle towards Beacon. Ozpin orders Glynda to help in the city, and tells Qrow to trail Ruby and Neo to protect them from Harkan. It's nearly too late, as Harkan is waiting for Ruby and Neo at the wall with thousands of Grimm at his back.

Adam catches up to Dane in a burning storefront. Taurus turns on his fellow commander, calling him a traitor for fighting in the tournament. The two fight, and Adam deals Dane a fatal blow. With his dying breaths, Dane tells Adam he'd rather die free than live a slave, right as Blake and Yang catch up to them. He turns and smiles at the huntresses, then Adam beheads him.

Ozpin and JNPR descend into the vault and rush to get Pyrrha into the pods. Pyrrha orders Jaune to defend Amber under all circumstances, and Jaune obeys alongside Ren and Nora. Ozpin starts the transfer right as Jaune notices flames at the far end of the vault. Acting on instinct, he activates his semblance for the first time and blasts Cinder's arrow out of the air. That action gives Ozpin the split second he needs to erect a shield around Jaune, Ren, Nora, and the pods as Cinder explodes in flames. Inside the pods, Pyrrha gets a full view of Amber (and Glynda's) lives, then gets to speak with Amber for a brief moment. As Amber dies, Pyrrha is aura bonded to Cinder, and is assaulted by the full force of Cinder's twisted evil life. The bonding ends, and Ozpin gives JNPR time to flee as he faces off against Cinder.

Harkan speaks to the faunus of Remnant, then activates his semblance in the greatest show of aura Vale has ever seen. In a single assault, he single-handedly sends an EMP pulse through the entirety of Vale, destroying the entire Atlesian Navy and plunging the city in flames. Harkan gives safe passage out of the city to all faunus, then unleashes his Grimm on everything left. He draws Ruby and Neo outside of the city, then attacks them.

Yang and Blake scream in fury and horror as Dane's body slumps to the ground. Without thinking, Yang launches herself at Adam only for him to cut off her arm and send her crashing to the ground. A desperate fight between Taurus and Blake ends with Wilt stuck through Blake's abdomen. Before he can kill them both, though, Blake activates her semblance and runs away with Yang. They don't make it far before a Griffon attacks them. Luckily, Raven shows up just in time to rescue them, taking them to the Branwen camp in Anima.

Pyrrha can't control her semblance, and accidentally takes JNPR from the vault all the way to Ozpin's tower. With the glass melting below them and time slipping away, she gets her teammates onto a gear and fly them down to the ground. They are stopped by Emerald and Mercury before they can get away, and Pyrrha is immobilized by sudden pain before they begin. Fearing for the new maiden, Jaune, Ren, and Nora start fighting Cinder's henchmen. Cinder kills Ozpin and rises from the vault. She immediately engages Pyrrha, and the two begin to have an earth-shaking fight.

Neo and Ruby quickly are pushed back in their fight with Harkan, and Neo is knocked unconscious against the wall. Ruby manages to rake two blows down Harkan's face, but the Lich kicks her away and vows to kill her slowly for scarring him. Qrow arrives just in time to block Harkan's killing blow, and he engages the Lich in vicious close combat. Ruby and Neo pool their collective consciousness and aura into Ruby's body, and one of Ruby's eyes turns pink. Together, they become Rose. Taking advantage of Harkan's fight, they strike lightning fast and knock him out. However, with the loss of control of the Grimm, they all swarm towards Rose and Qrow. With no options left, Rose pours every bit of power left into her single silver eye, consuming the organ entirely as she vaporizes the entire horde. Her bond pulls her back from the brink of vaporizing her entire body, and Rose sinks deep into a coma.

As Cinder and Pyrrha's apocalyptic battle unfolds above, the battle below intensifies. In an open opportunity, Ren darts forwards and sinks his blades into Mercury's chest. He slumps to the ground, dead. Screaming in utter despair, Emerald conjures a vision of Salem, plunging the trio into fear. When the vision ends, Emerald's weapons are covered in Ren's blood and their teammate is dead. Enraged, Nora slams Emerald across the field and into the building far away. Before they could pursue her, Cinder is sent to the ground by Pyrrha, who walks after her. Cinder uses Ren's death as a distraction and shoots her in the ankle, immobilizing her. Cinder walks up to deal the fatal blow, only to find Jaune in her way. In a moment of blind heroism, Jaune faces off against Cinder for long enough to let Pyrrha regain her bearings, yet too late to stop the inevitable. Cinder sinks her blade into his chest and vaporizes Jaune Arc. In a fit of rage, Pyrrha cuts Cinder's arm off, but Emerald stops her and escapes with Cinder before she can kill the other maiden. Pyrrha collapses at Jaune's side in pure despair.

In the city, Weiss is doing everything she can to save people from the wreckage. Glynda stops her and they go to find JNPR together, only to be stopped by a SDC limo. Jacques Schnee wants to take Weiss back to Atlas, but she refuses to stay with her team. Together, she and Glynda find the remains of JNPR and are faced with a worst-case situation.

In her dream world, Neo shows Ruby Augustus' death and how Roman delivered her from the Augustine camp. As their shared mental space disintegrates around them, they vow to stay together no matter what.

Later, Qrow and Tai are watching over Ruby and Neo when Raven portals in. They learn that she is the spring maiden, and she agrees to train Pyrrha. Raven breaks down over the promise to stay away she made Tai, and the trio slowly begins to heal around the emptiness and fracture left from Summer's death.

**Going into Volume Four…**

**Ruby Rose –** Comatose, on Patch

 **Bella "Neopolitan" Green Branwen –** Comatose, on Patch

 **Blake Belladonna –** Injured, with the Branwen Tribe

 **Yang Xiao Long –** Maimed, with the Branwen Tribe

 **Weiss Schnee –** On Patch

 **Pyrrha Nikos –** Partial Fall Maiden, on Patch

 **Jaune Arc –** Dead

 **Nora Valkyrie –** On Patch

 **Lie Ren –** Dead

 **Ozpin –** Dead?

 **Glynda Goodwitch –** In Vale

 **James Ironwood –** Dead

 **Cinder Fall –** Partial Fall Maiden, en route to Salem

 **Emerald Sustrai –** en route to Salem

 **Mercury Black –** Dead

 **Arthur Watts –** With the fleeing faunus

 **Sienna Khan –** Dead

 **Lilianne Hale –** Dead

 **Dane Lilac –** Dead

 **Adam Taurus –**  With the fleeing faunus

 **Ilia Amitolia –** With the fleeing faunus

 **Ghira Belladonna** – With the fleeing faunus

 **Kali Belladonna**  – With the fleeing faunus

 **Raven Branwen –** On Patch

 **Taiyang Xiao Long –** On Patch

 **Qrow Branwen –** On Patch


	4. Omake II (C31)

Omake II

* * *

re:Bound Plus

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/23/18

* * *

**Where in re:Bound? -** **In the original Volume Four, Chapter One, right after arriving on Patch after Volume Three. Pyrrha has just received the powers of the Fall Maiden.**

**Why Was It Cut? - Originally, I made the maiden's powers nearly uncontrollable at first. In the rewrite, I decided this didn't make much sense either with V3 C10 or when Cinder kills Amber in canon, so I dropped it.**

**TW – Violence, Trauma**

* * *

_He promised._

Her body was coals and embers, ready to collapse in on itself in a cloud of sparks at any time. She burned through the covers, scorching the scuff marks off the old cedar paneling and bringing the cabin to the ground around her. Such was the way of fire – one lick of flame escaped the campfire and the entire forest burnt to the ground. She should marvel, she supposed, that she hadn't destroyed everything around her yet. She could still feel her skin on the wool beneath her and Crocea Mors' edge digging into her cheek as she curled tighter around the old weapon.

Metal was easy to understand. Solid, rigid, familiar. Her skin buzzed where the polar currents running down the steel shield met her aura. It was a hollow comfort, sure, but she clung to it like a lone rock rising out of the vicious seas.

Fire didn't listen to commands. Fire just took and took until there was nothing left but darkness.

_He promised everything would be fine._

_He promised me._

"Pyrrha?"

A hand gently rested on her shoulder, pressing Yang's nightgown into her feverish skin. Fighting with all of her power to keep the fire inside, her aura flared out and grabbed onto the first piece of metal attached to the person's body. Taiyang yelled as he was violently thrown into a wall by his shoulderpad, slumping to the ground in pain.

"You've got to be fu-"

"Shut up, Qrow. Let me handle this." She shuddered as she fought the red haze around her back inside, nails digging deep into her palm. She could hear them but couldn't respond – Weiss and Nora quietly whispering behind her, Tai cursing as Qrow helped him up. Raven's shadow fell upon the wall, brooding. "Can you walk?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Pyrrha shook her head.

"I'm going to move you. Don't panic or you'll kill everyone in this house," Raven snapped. Weiss and Nora gasped as a blue bubble surrounded Pyrrha and lifted her into the air, carrying her away from the room leaving Crocea Mors behind on the bed. The warm summer night still felt Atlesian on her skin, each gust chilling her to the core. Once they got far enough away from the Rose/Xiao-Long house, Raven activated her powers fully and pulled her bubble high into the sky. Pausing high above Patch, the Spring Maiden drifted closer to Fall and pressed her hands against the azure magic. "Pyrrha, look at me." When she didn't respond, she snarled, " _Now_."

Weakly, Pyrrha let her eyes fall open and gave Raven a desperate glance. She found cruel red eyes glaring back at her expectantly.  _She wants me to talk._ Trembling, she shook her head.

The bubble pulsed dangerously as Raven's fury deepened. "Do not mock me," the Nevermore Queen whispered in a deeply dangerous voice, "or you will regret it. You will not be the first Maiden I have killed."

"I can't," Pyrrha whispered, trembling as the maiden's powers rose within her. Red haze surrounded her and flames began to lick at the corners of her nightgown.

The red gauntlet sent her head snapping back, woozily slamming against the side of the bubble. Raven kept their eyes locked as she pulled her fist back. "I told you not to mock me."

"I told you that I  _CAN'T!_ " Pyrrha screamed, her powers exploding away from her body. Once it escaped the confines of her aura, raw magic uncontrollably flooded out of her body and pooled into an inferno inside the bubble, fighting with all its power to go supernova. Flames engulfed her, seeping through every inch of her body, filling her mouth, she couldn't breathe only exist and burn burn burn bu-

_He promised_ _me._

* * *

**Where in re:Bound? -** **The original version (in two parts) of the scene in V4 C1 where Yang wakes up.**

**Why Was It Cut? - Blake is being obnoxious and acting like she hasn't been developed at all, Raven and Silo are cruel by forcing her into joining the tribe, and Yang is deeply OOC**

**TW – Gore, Trauma**

* * *

The tent stank of blood and sweat, leaving a metallic taste on Blake's tongue. That was a faunus thing, her heightened senses, she supposed – nobody else in the tent seemed revolted by the taste of her girlfriend's exposed flesh on the air, the gaping wound Silo was still treating three and a half hours after she had woken up from treating him. Her abdomen burned in pain as she curled up on the upholstered chair, ears flattened to her head and nails buried in her legs, but she sat in muted silence as she watched a dozen members of the Branwen work to save Yang's life.

_Eerie blue split the sky, Vale collapsing in on itself in a pyre of airships falling from the sky and monsters wearing the skin of Faunus. She wished he had ripped Wilt from its scabbard, running his finger down its blade leaving a thin trail of blood and aura before pulling back and sinking the blade deep into her chest instead of her gut. Maybe then she wouldn't have to deal with the pain, the regret, the guilt…_

_When Yang woke up, she would know_ everything.

Somebody sat down in the chair next to her. Blake flinched, then winced at the searing pain that ran down the length of her body. She suffered it in silence. "Don't touch me."

"You're strong. I respect that." The woman slouched down in her chair, short black hair partially obscuring her bangs. Idly, she turned a silver pistol over and over in her hands, eyes flitting calculatedly from Yang to her weapon to Blake. Her presence put Blake on edge. She had noticed the woman popping in and out of the tent – obviously a teleportation semblance – so she knew she was one of Raven's bandits, but nothing would keep her calm tonight and the gun…

_Sienna Khan and Lilianne Hale fell to the ground in slow motion. Ironwood turned towards her under the dying sun and raised his gleaming silver gun. For a moment, she found his shadowed eyes with hers and was transfixed by the hollow pain and grief that locked her into place, staring. The barrel of the gun stared back. Slowly, the general pulled the trigger as the sky turned crimson..._

_Why did Yang push her out of the way?_

"...ould introduce myself," the woman was saying. "I'm Greaser, Raven's told me all about you. As long as you're with our tribe, you're family." Her expression softened slightly, and she rose to her feet again. Back turned to the curled-up cat faunus, she said, "I know now's probably not the time to hear this, but if you need  _anything_ , I'll be around."

Without waiting to see if Blake responded, she vanished from the tent.

Maybe if Blake had been weaker, if Ruby had never caught her at the docks, she would have run as far from everyone Adam could hurt as possible. Even now, she felt that pull, the pull to leap from her chair and vanish into Anima forever. Instead, she sat and boiled in her guilt and despair and fear, paralyzed by pain and indecision.

_Fuck you, Ruby. Fuck you for all of this. I could have run that night and everyone would be safe. That stupid video wouldn't have lead to the gods-damned protest, and all of this wouldn't be my fault._

_"_ _I wish I had never gone after you the night you ran."_ Ruby's words in detention all those months ago echoed in her head, and Blake's lips twitched at the bitter irony.  _Even she fucking got it. Everything is gone because of me._

"You aren't okay."

Looking up, Blake stared at Silo, his eyes glowing mint green as his semblance scanned her body. Her eyes narrowed, and she cocked her head slightly at him. "How'd you guess?" she said, words bitterly twisting in her mouth.

His eyes narrowed in turn. Reaching out his hand, his auratic glow spread down his arm and a ghostly outline appeared around her. "Every man, woman, and child in this camp has seen people die and the world burn around them," he said quietly, then suddenly clenched his fist. Blake screamed as the faint mist around her body solidified into a green casing and her abdomen screamed in pain, twisting and contorting as it knit itself back together. Silo relaxed his hand and let it drift back to his side. "If you can't handle that, you won't last very long around here."

Blake hissed, unarching her back and curling back up into a ball, and Silo raised an eyebrow at her. "You have no ide-"

"You are a child," Silo said, silencing her in a heartbeat. "A brave, foolish child, but a child nontheless. Raven has told me about you."

"If she's told you about me, then you know about how-" Blake spat, only to be cut off again.

"Told me about what?" he asked quietly. "How you're a faunus rights activist? How you're dating her daughter?"

"Then you should know what I've been through!" she burst out, drawing the attention of the bandits still surrounding Yang.

Silo gave her a pitying glance. "No."

Blake blinked. "What?"

"You don't listen," the elder bandit said as the other men and women turned back to Yang. "Nobody in this camp is stranger to pain and struggle. Your experiences are no different, and you assume too fast." His gaze hardened. "Insomnia and clinical depression. Inability to face personal conflict. I don't give a shit about your 'struggles,' child. However, it is my responsibility to be able to save the lives of every person in this tribe."

"I thought bandits left their wounded out for the Nevermores," Blake sneered, and Silo shook his head.

"Lashing out is pointless. The fact that you are doing so instead of allowing me to help you is precisely why you are a child."

Silo took a menacing step forwards as she said, "I'm not a child! I'm eighteen! I've been fighting for my entire fucking life and I just watched Vale  _burn_. You have no right-"

"Be quiet." Silo's calloused hand gripped Blake's shoulder and pulled her closer so their faces nearly met. Blake tried to look away, but he held her face in place with two fingers and forced her to make eye contact. "For two straight hours, I watched you sit in this chair, doubled over in extreme pain and stewing in your own misery, watching me. You could have asked for help the moment you woke up, yet you chose to punish yourself instead in a room filled with trained doctors and medics. Even our toddlers know when they need help. We are a tribe, not a bunch of criminals holding knives to each other's throats. If you can't rely on others, you have no place with us."

Blake stared at him fearfully, her wide eyes starting to water. Her thoughts were struck silent, and she couldn't respond to the imposing healer before her.

Silo sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as he dropped eye contact with her. "Your wound should be healed. I apologize for missing part of it earlier; stab wounds are complex, and my attention was diverted too far towards your partner."

"Thank you," she whispered, burying her head in her knees so he couldn't see her tears.

"Child..." He sat down next to her and rested a hand on her back. Blake stiffened, a choked sob escaping her lips before she buried her face in his side and started to cry. Silo sat silently as she shook against him, patiently waiting for her to calm down. Eventually, her breaths came in heaving gasps, and she dug her fingers into his shirt and nodded slightly against his side. "You have a choice to make, Blake Belladonna," Silo said softly, pulling her hair out of her face. "Raven saves everybody she tags once, and never again. You just used your only save, and now you've been healed. If you want, when Raven returns, you can leave this camp, our people, and never return."

"No." Blake pushed herself off of the healer, her voice quavering as she spoke. "I won't leave Yang again. I've already hurt her too much. I won't let her wake up her alone."

Silo bowed his head. "Then you have only one option."

"What?"

"Join the Branwen tribe." Everyone else in the room stopped whatever they were doing and turned to watch as Silo rose to his feet, leaving a stunned Blake behind in her chair. He walked away, back turned from her with his arms crossed, then stopped. "Your relationship with Yang gives you more than enough of a right to join, and Raven likes you personally. We don't allow outsiders in our tribe. We won't hold you here against your will, but once you join you're one of us for life. Yang has been one since her birth, whether she understands that or not. If you want to stay here with her, you have to be one as well."

"Become a bandit?" Blake echoed faintly.

One of the other healers narrowed his eyes at her and took a step forwards. "The only people who call us bandits are outsiders. Tribal lifestyle is traditional to Anima, and we are the last and the greatest of the Animan tribes. We take only what we need and protect our own. Mistral owns a tiny corner of this continent and the rest is  _ours._ "

Silo nodded in agreement. "We will give you a home, a family, protection. In return, you will become stronger and use that strength to protect our people."

"But what about school? My team?"

He smirked at her. "You would still be able to attend. I went to Shade Academy, child. Astral, Vernal, and Greaser went to Haven Academy, and Topaz went to Atlas. Of course, the Branwens have all attended Beacon since the schools inception. Everyone in our inner circle is a trained huntsman strong enough to take out an entire team of trainees easily-"

"Qrow lost to Ruby twice," Blake interrupted, and Silo shook his head.

"Qrow Branwen is not a member of our tribe. His father disowned him fifteen years ago. First of all, he's always so drunk he can barely lift his scythe. Second of all, he didn't lose to Ruby Rose." He drew himself up to his full height, eyes glowing slightly. "He lost to the power of Bella Branwen, heiress to the Branwen tribe, the hunter-killer who could take out full teams before her tenth birthday. The only person stronger than Bella is Raven, and only for her Maiden powers. If it weren't for her bond..." Silo trailed off in silent contemplation, leaving Blake shocked before him.

"Heiress? But Yang..."

"Is second in line to take on the tribe. Did Bella not tell you about her return, the two weeks she stayed with us in January?"

Blake's brow furrowed. "No… I don't think she told Ruby, so she definitely didn't tell me."

He raised an eyebrow, then bowed her head. "I am not surprised. The extent of the damage done to her by the monsters that held her before Ruby is truly horrific." Blake's eyes widened in surprise and she leaned forward slightly in anticipation, but Silo shook his head. "If she has not told you, I will respect her privacy. I suspect, though, that it has more to do with Ruby Rose than you, so if you ask her she may tell you."

Blake fell back into her chair, mind whirling as she thought through everything she knew about Neo.  _Ask her? Have I ever asked her anything? Would she even answer?_ "I… see."

"The question still remains." Silo crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on her. "Will you leave now that our kindness has been paid out, or will you join the Branwen Tribe?"

Blake closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  _Become a member of the Branwen Tribe… I can't leave Yang here alone, and I'll be able to escape the White Fang_ and _Ozpin… But…_ "Will I have to kill anybody?" she asked quietly.

"No. All we ask is your utmost devotion to the protection of our tribe."

Blake nodded, then her amber eyes shot open. "Then I'll do it, I guess. I'll become a member of the Branwen Tribe if that's what it takes to stay with Yang." Her voice quavered even as her resolve hardened.  _I promised Ruby I wouldn't run away. I promised her, and I won't. Even if Yang hates me, even if she never wants to see me again, I'm going to be there when she wakes up._

"Good." Blake and Silo both spun around to see Raven's shadowed form in the doorway. The Nevermore Queen stepped into the medical tent with a stony expression, looking between the two impassively. "I would expect nothing less of you after you protected my daughter's life with your own."

"Raven," Blake whispered.

Raven gave her a half smile, taking her hand off her sword then crossing her arms. "I suppose I should welcome you to the tribe. Forgive me, it's been a… trying day." Blake opened her mouth, but Raven held up a hand to silence her. "I know what you want. Patience. Tai, come in."

Everybody did a double-take as Taiyang followed Raven in, carrying Pyrrha's limp form in his arms. "Tai?" Silo whispered, gawking at Raven's ex-husband. "Raven, what the hell happened while you were away?"

"Pyrrha!" Forgetting herself for a moment, Blake leaped from her chair and rushed to Pyrrha's side. She pressed her fingers to the other girl's head and found it too hot to touch. Backing away slightly, she stared wide-eyed at Tai. "What happened?"

Tai's expression was grave as he walked across the room and gently set Pyrrha down on a spare table. "Rae, you know more than I do," he said, then turned to Silo and nodded.

"Ozpin's experiment worked. Pyrrha is now the Fall Maiden, or partially at least." Raven walked to the unconscious girl's bedside. Placing a hand on her forehead, blue fire burst to life around her eyes and her hand. A near-identical red fire appeared around Pyrrha's eyes, and she stirred slightly. "She's just adjusting. I had these same symptoms when I received the powers. She just needs to release energy every few hours until it settles. I decided she wasn't safe to be around the other students, so I brought her here."

Blake stared at Pyrrha in happy awe.  _She's… she's alive! I thought it was a death sentence, but-_ "Wait, partial maiden? That means Cinder is still alive, right?"

Raven nodded, her expression grim.

Blake's ears flattened, then relaxed slightly as she looked back at Pyrrha. "I thought she was going to die, and I was never going to see her again..." she said in a small voice. Tai and Raven shot each other a look, and her heart sank. "What about the rest?" she whispered.

Tai sighed, and Raven met her gaze evenly. "Blake. Promise me that you'll be strong, no matter what," she said softly.

Blake shrunk further back.  _No. Please don't let it be my friends, please, please…_ "Why?"

"Jaune and Ren both sacrificed themselves to save Pyrrha from Cinder," Raven said flatly. "They're dead."

 _Dead_. Blake's eyes grew watery as her chest felt as if it was stabbed by a sword of ice. "No..." Looking from Tai to Raven, both who stared sadly back, she shook her head. "No, it can't be, you- You're lying! You've got to be lying, they can't be dead!"

Tai sighed as a tear trickled down her face. "Blake."

She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the oncoming tears. "Both of them?"

"I'm sorry."

_Jaune and Ren are dead._

_Because of me._

Blake swayed in place for a moment, then screamed, "NO!" She threw herself into Raven's arms and began violently sobbing. Raven held her awkwardly for a second, then pulled her into a tight hug. Pressing her face into her armored chestplate, Blake screamed wordlessly in grief and despair, searching desperately for something, anything they could be lying about and finding nothing. Grief crashing over her like a tidal wave, breaking down every bit of composure she had left and taking her under.

s _he came to beacon to escape then she met ruby rose she had so many secrets and blake couldn't tear herself away so she searched and searched until ruby found it all out and she ran and ruby chased and she found the secret and she couldn't leave she couldn't escape when tukson died and she had to protest so she fought ruby and ozpin and racism and yang until she was alone with nobody left to fight and then they beat her in the streets and showed it to the whole world and she withdrew so yang couldn't find her and her past couldn't find her until it did and her parents and ilia and adam came and she knew what was going to happen she knew they were going to die and she couldn't do anything so she watched as it tore them apart and everybody found out and yang hated her hated her hated her hated her HATED HER HATED HER HATED HER and then they were at the protest and she spoke and ironwood killed sienna and lilianne and he would have killed her but yang pushed her out of the way and they chased adam and he killed dane and he cut yang's arm off and he would have killed her and vale was burning and ren was dead and jaune was dead and it was all her fault it was all her fault it was all her fault IT WAS ALL HER FAULT IT WAS ALL HER FAULT IT WAS ALL HER FAULT IT WAS ALL HER FAULT!_

Raven sank to the floor with Blake as her knees buckled, holding her closer to her chest as she kept screaming wordlessly in agony. Tai and Silo watched wordlessly, each lost in their own thoughts. For a long time, the four of them stayed like that even as the other healers went back to work on Yang around them. Blake cried until she had no tears left, then clung to Raven until the Nevermore Queen tried to stand. "Blake…"

"Please don't go," she whispered, her hair hanging down into her face as her fingers tightened around the fabric of her sleeves.

Sighing, Raven settled back down onto the ground. Gently pulling the hair from Blake's face, she murmured, "Why me?"

Blake just shook her head and pressed it silently against Raven's shoulder.

"Silo, tell me about Yang," Tai said quietly, and the two huntsmen walked away from the duo on the floor.

Raven watched them go, then sighed and ran her fingers through Blake's hair. They sat in silence for a long moment.

"I watched Summer die." Blake stirred to look at Raven, who stared off into the distance past her. "Everybody thinks that Qrow was the only one, but… I was supposed to be guarding Laurel, but I heard the Grimm break through our lines and I left Laurel with her team and Lilia. I tried to make it to Qrow and Summer, but by the time I did, it was too late. I… I watched her power, her fucking silver-eyed curse, turn her to ash."

"I'm sorry," Blake whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Raven's expression was peaceful yet lost, too distant to be ascertained. "She was the most important person in my life. Bella was lost to that- that- I-" She took a deep breath. "And Yang and Tai were far, far away from me. When I realized she was gone, I… She was my partner, my best friend. And you want to know the worst part? It was all a distraction. They were going for Laurel and her maiden powers the whole time, and if I hadn't left them Laurel would still be alive and I would never have become the spring maiden."

Raven's words twisted bitterly on the last sentence, ghostly blue haze rising off of her body. Blake let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and hugged Raven tighter. They shared their grief for a long moment, then Blake whispered, "What about my team?"

"Ruby and Neo are both comatose. Harkan caught them outside of the wall, and Ruby had to use her silver eyes. Weiss is fine."

"Oh." Blake sat lost in thought, her volatile emotions briefly muted by her meltdown. "I want to see them."

Raven nodded, then let go of her and rose to her feet. Unsteadily, Blake followed her up, one hand falling to her stomach where she had been stabbed. "You will. Tai and I plan to return for breakfast, and we'll take you with us. First, though, I need to speak to the tribe and… and see Yang." She took a long sigh, then turned on her heel and walked to Yang's bedside, Blake trailing close behind.

Yang's fingers hung limp in Taiyang's gentle grasp. Her face was blackened from soot, head lolling to one side on the pillowless pallet. The healers worked feverishly on her other arm, and Blake's stomach twisted as she saw the raw flesh still exposed at the stump.

"They've been at it for hours," Raven murmured. "It's a miracle Silo and I were able to close off the bone and veins to save her life at all – she lost so much blood. If I wasn't the Spring Maiden, I don't think I could have saved her."

Blake reached out and gently swept the hair from her girlfriend's face. "Maidens can heal?" she asked.

Raven shrugged. "Some better than others. It depends on the relic. Knowledge is neutral on healing, but Winter would be far better than me and Summer would probably just outright kill whoever they try to save."

Blake blinked, trying to process her statement. "Relic?"

Raven eyed her for a moment, then shook her head. "I'll explain later."

Letting Yang's fingers slip out of his hand, Tai looked at Yang then up at Raven with shimmering eyes. "How did we get here, Rae?" he whispered. Raven's expression saddened as she looked from her ex-husband to her long-lost daughter, and she shook her head.

"I don't know, Tai. I really don't know."

Blake was dozing by Yang's bedside when she felt movement by her elbow. Shooting awake, her eyes widened as her girlfriend stirred restlessly below her. "Silo!" she called, and the burly healer rushed over.

"Is she waking up?" he asked, and she nodded. He beckoned for an assistant to come over, then said to him, "Go find Raven and bring her here."

As Yang's eyelids began to flutter, Blake laced their fingers together and held her breath.  _Please don't hate me._ Lilac eyes met hazel, and Yang whispered, "Blake?"

Blake gave her a worried smile, squeezing her hand a little harder. "Hi Yang," she whispered back, her voice cracking with emotion.

"What happened?"

She squeezed Yang's hand as tight as she could. "I fought Adam after you went down. I lost, but we managed to escape."

Yang's eyes widened. She tried to sit up, only to fall back into bed in exhaustion. Feebly, she asked, "Did he hurt you?"

Blake bit her lip, debating for a moment, then nodded. Barely breathing an answer, she said, "He stabbed me in the abdomen, but I'm okay."

Yang closed her eyes and sunk back into her bed. "Then I failed. I said I would protect you, and I failed."

Blake's face twisted in agony and she threw herself onto Yang, wrapping her arms tight around her partner's body. "I'm here," she whispered fiercely into Yang's ear. "I'm here right now, and that's all that matters."

They held each other for a long time. Eventually, Yang managed to whisper, "I'm not okay, am I?" When Blake hesitated, she murmured, "Tell me. Please. If I… if I have to find out myself, if I hear from anyone but you, I- I-" Yang's voice cracked. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle it."

 _No… Yang, please don't make me say it, it's my fault, please…_ Blake's thoughts trailed off and she tightened her grip around her.  _This isn't about me,_ she realized. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "He cut your arm off, Yang. It's gone. I'm sorry."

Yang opened her eyes and started trying to sit up again. "I need to see,"

Blake pulled back and helped Yang prop herself up on her sole elbow. They both stared at the wrapped stump, which Yang tentatively moved around as if to confirm nothing was attached. In a dead voice, she said, "It's gone."

Blake bowed her head. "Yeah," she whispered, the unbidden  _I'm sorry_ dying on her lips.  _This isn't about you,_ she whispered to herself forcefully again.

The couple stared at each other for a long time, expressions of equal desolation written on their faces. At some point, their hands found one another, giving some tiny comfort in the face of impossible darkness. Finally, Yang managed to ask, "Where are we?"

"With the Branwen Tribe." Blake and Yang turned to see Raven standing off to one side of the bed. The Nevermore Queen's hair was down without her usual hairband, her usual armor missing in favor of a dark red dress with a belt around the waist still holding her sword. Yang's breath caught as her mom approached the bed, red eyes meeting lilac. "I-"

"Mom," Yang murmured.

Raven wavered in place, then nodded unsteadily. "Yang…"

Her daughter nodded back. After a long silence, she said, "Ruby… Ruby told me everything. About you and Dad."

"I'm sorry," Raven whispered.

Uncertainty filled the air as Yang stared at her mom with a lost expression for a long moment. "You..." She trailed off, then spoke again. "You broke your promise."

"You were going to die," Raven responded. "You lost so much blood, and I was worried that… that you weren't going to make it. We didn't think you were going to make it."

"But you saved me."

"I-"

Yang cracked a broken smile. "You saved me. You came back for me." Her attention turned to Blake. "You both did."

Blake shook her head, ears flattening against her head as she pulled herself tight against Yang again. Raven bit her lip, her expression softening. "You're my daughter, I… I could never let you die like that."

Yang swayed in Blake's embrace, desperately searching for words she didn't know how to say. "Mom..." She took a deep shuddering breath. "Could you..." Unable to finish her sentence, she reached out to Raven with her only arm. Hesitating for a moment, Raven rushed forwards and embraced both of them. Yang clung to her mother and her girlfriend, anchoring herself against the pain and unbearable loss, and didn't let go.

It didn't matter how long it would take, or whether anything would ever be normal again. Yang hadn't woken up alone, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
